In this issue
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
Lang Lang: A life So Far
Anyone who believed that Lang's Lang's fame would only last fifteen minutes would have had to think twice when they saw the audience at New York's…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
The Piano Magazine Lives On
Let's take this moment to celebrate the marriage of Clavier and Keyboard Companion. As these two magazines begin life as one, it is important to remember that Clavier Companion's debut issue continues a…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
An Interview with Leon Fleisher, Part Two
In the Autumn issue of Keyboard Companion, Leon Fleisher discussed his childhood years, his studies with Artur Schnabel and Karl Ulrich Schnabel, and the early years…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
The Art of the Vamp
A vamp is an improvised piano accompaniment, sometimes containing melodic figures (licks or riffs), other times simply consisting of block chords played in rhythms. Or it…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
How Do You Teach Fluent Reading on Ledger Lines Between the Staves?
In the Spring 2005 issue of Keyboard Companion, the Music Reading Department addressed the teaching of reading ledger line notes above and below the staves. In this issue, we…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
How Do You Teach Polyrhythms?
In my college years I encountered a recurring four-against-five pattern in a 20th-century piece, and my initial attempts to do it were not successful. My teacher recommended that…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
Winning Essay for 2008 Collegiate Writing Contest: Lowell Liebermann’s Album for the Young, Op. 43: A Fresh Approach to Classical Teaching Literature
In the Spring of 2008, Keyboard Companion sponsored its first annual Collegiate Writing Contest. College students at any level from any country in the world were invited to submit 1,500…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
Starting A Studio: What, Where, and How?
Teachers sometimes find themselves in the position of establishing or re- establishing a studio. Perhaps they have just graduated from a college or university with a degree…
January 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1
How Do You Use Recording Technology in Your Studio?
Do you remember the glorious days of cassette tapes? For a substantial period of time - from the late 1960s to the end of the century…